AMONG THE OAKS 129 



the rotation of copse and coppice ; for the tem- 

 porary advantages of short rotation with frequent 

 exposure of the soil to sun and wind would be 

 in the end dearly bought by gradual deterioration 

 of the land, as this would really mean diminution 

 of its capital value; and that would be false 

 economy, as well as bad Forestry. 



It seems hard, when writing of the oak, so 

 intimately connected with the greatness of Britain, 

 to feel compelled to refrain from giving a few 

 details about some of the many historical and 

 interesting oak trees to be found in different parts 

 of the British Isles. But as this is a book on 

 Forests and Woodlands, and not on Trees, space 

 unfortunately forbids our wandering along these 

 seductive by-paths and discoursing on the more 

 purely aesthetic side of British Arboriculture. 



